Are you jumping feet first into online content?  

Whether you’ve taken your dog training classes and consults online out of necessity or have had it in the works for a while, you might have some questions about the best tools for doing so. 

We’ve compiled a list for you of our tried and tested equipment for having great video sound when recording or consulting online. Most of these things can normally be found on Amazon or local stores.

This post contains affiliate links.  While this doesn’t cost you anything to purchase, we do earn a small commission for our recommendations. 

Web Camera

While most computers and laptops have a webcam already installed, you might find yourself wanting a higher quality camera for your videos.  If your video recordings are grainy or choppy, then opt for an external webcam such as the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920.  This webcam includes a widescreen feature and has high video and sound quality. This could be the only extra you need for now. 

Microphone

An external microphone can increase sound quality so that you can be heard more clearly.  While a good set of wired headphones are a great budget option, for more professional sound you’ll want an external microphone. 

We use the Blue Snowball USB microphone for all of our webinars and recordings.  It is a great affordable option with high quality sound. 

A step up from the Blue Snowball is the Blue Yeti Mircophone which has more features such as 3 condenser capsules, 4 pickup patterns, headphone output and volume control.

Wireless Microphone for Phone or Camera

When recording training videos or live sessions using our Android cell phones or our DSLR camera, we use a wireless lavalier microphone.  This helps viewers to hear our instructions clearly when we are several feet away from the camera. The exact one that we use is the Alcoxcon Wireless Lapel Mic.  The listing on Amazon does say not for Android users but it works great on our Samsung Galaxy (S9+ and S10+) phones and our DSLR camera (Canon Rebel).

Lighting

There are lots of great options for lighting in various ways.

For full room brightening, you’ll likely opt for a photography lighting kit such as Emart’s 600W Photography Photo Video Portrait Studio Day Light Umbrella Continuous Lighting Kit.

Additionally, this Neweer 2 Pack Dimmable LED video light is a compact way to bring lots of light into your space. 

Ring lights and directional lights can also remove shadows in videos, especially when you are sitting close to the camera for a consulting call.  We like this 8” Selfie with Ring Light with Tripod and Cell Phone Holder. 

All of these tools are optional but can make your videos and calls appear more professional.  The important thing to remember is to do the best you can with what you have even if adding additional equipment isn’t in the budget right now.